§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the research projects related to raising standards in schools which have been commissioned by his Standards and Effectiveness Unit since May 1997. [98285]
§ Ms Estelle MorrisThe following research projects relating to raising standards have been commissioned directly by the Standards and Effectiveness Unit
1. The Impact of School Transfers and Transitions on Pupil Progress and Attainment2. Evaluation of the Initial Effects and Implementation of 'Success for All' in Nottingham3. Causing Concern but Improving: A Review of Schools' Experiences4. Innovative Grouping Practices in Secondary Schools5. Evaluation of Pilot Beacon Schools6. Pupil Mobility in Schools7. A Review and Evaluation of Approaches for Developing Pupils' Thinking8. Effective Action Planning after Inspection9. Excellence in Research on Schools10. The Impact of Adult/Child Ratios on Standards11. An Overview of Evaluation of the Literacy and Numeracy Strategies12. Evaluation of Pilot Education Action Zones13. Research Centre on Economics of Education14. Developing a Collaborative Research Unit in Education for Evidence Informed Policy and Practice.
§ Mrs. MayTo ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many staff were employed in the Standards and Effectiveness Unit at the end of September 1999; and what the budget of the Unit is in the current year. [98297]
§ Ms Estelle MorrisAt the end of September 1999 the number of staff in the Unit was 204. The running cost budget for the Unit in the current year is £5.9 million.